A tourist boat carrying families around Vietnam’s famous Ha Long Bay capsized on Saturday afternoon, killing at least 34 people, state media reported.
The boat had 48 passengers and five crew members on board when sudden heavy rain caused it to overturn in the UNESCO World Heritage site, VNExpress said.
Many of the passengers were families visiting from Hanoi, including over 20 children.
Border guards were able to rescue 11 people and recover 34 bodies. Search efforts are still on to find the eight people who are missing.
Rescue teams are working through the night, as officials continue their investigation into what caused the accident.
Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Responds
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He asked the defence and public security ministries to carry out urgent search and rescue operations.
A government statement said that officials would “investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle any violations.”
Storm Hit Suddenly
A resident of the Ha Long Bay area Tran Trong Hung told AFP that the weather changed suddenly around 2 pm.
“The sky turned dark... There were hailstones as big as toes, heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning,” he said.
The same storm also brought strong winds and rain to the northern provinces of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh. In Hanoi, strong winds uprooted several trees.
This storm came after three days of extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 37°C in some areas.
The Director of the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting Mai Van Khiem told VNExpress that the storm was not related to Tropical Storm Wipha in the South China Sea.
Ha Long Bay’s Troubled Waters
Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s top tourist destinations, famous for its blue-green waters and rainforest-covered limestone islands. Millions of people visit the area each year.
Last year, 30 boats sank at docking areas in Quang Ninh province, where Ha Long Bay is located, after Typhoon Yagi brought high winds and waves.
Earlier this month, a ferry sank off Bali in Indonesia, killing at least 18 people.
Inputs from agencies
The boat had 48 passengers and five crew members on board when sudden heavy rain caused it to overturn in the UNESCO World Heritage site, VNExpress said.
Many of the passengers were families visiting from Hanoi, including over 20 children.
Border guards were able to rescue 11 people and recover 34 bodies. Search efforts are still on to find the eight people who are missing.
Rescue teams are working through the night, as officials continue their investigation into what caused the accident.
Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Responds
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He asked the defence and public security ministries to carry out urgent search and rescue operations.
A government statement said that officials would “investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle any violations.”
Storm Hit Suddenly
A resident of the Ha Long Bay area Tran Trong Hung told AFP that the weather changed suddenly around 2 pm.
“The sky turned dark... There were hailstones as big as toes, heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning,” he said.
The same storm also brought strong winds and rain to the northern provinces of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh. In Hanoi, strong winds uprooted several trees.
This storm came after three days of extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 37°C in some areas.
The Director of the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting Mai Van Khiem told VNExpress that the storm was not related to Tropical Storm Wipha in the South China Sea.
Ha Long Bay’s Troubled Waters
Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s top tourist destinations, famous for its blue-green waters and rainforest-covered limestone islands. Millions of people visit the area each year.
Last year, 30 boats sank at docking areas in Quang Ninh province, where Ha Long Bay is located, after Typhoon Yagi brought high winds and waves.
Earlier this month, a ferry sank off Bali in Indonesia, killing at least 18 people.
Inputs from agencies
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